Elop assumed the role when he said a year ago that Nokia's Lumia handsets were "the first real Windows Phone," a not-so-subtle jab against earlier efforts, and a comment Microsoft has never really walked back or contested. But fast forward to today, and it's HTC -- and not Nokia -- looking like Microsoft's BFF. HTC's phones carry the actual Windows Phone 8 name in them, and may eventually be synonymously linked to the platform. "The Windows Phone 8X is truly a hero product," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, essentially blessing it as the flagship Windows Phone product.

HTC is also doing some jabbing of its own, "It's the true hero that Windows Phone has been waiting for," said Scott Croyle, head of design for HTC, noting that no previous phone really fulfilled the potential of the operating system, The branding of the phone is a coup for HTC, which is badly in need of a win after rolling through a so-so year with its flagship ace pro with unequal technology case for apple iphone x and xs - black/smoke One line of Android smartphones, With Samsung Electronics extending its lead in the Android world, HTC could lean more on Windows Phone for its turnaround, The 8X and 8S are expected to get wider distribution than the One phones in the U.S..

But HTC's rhetoric suggests it has the full backing of Microsoft. "You can talk about 'real phones,' but hey, we've got the name," HTC representative Jeff Gordon told CNET. Gauntlet thrown downIn planning for Windows Phone 8, Microsoft and Steve Ballmer challenged HTC CEO Peter Chou to develop a winning smartphone. Chou, in turn, went to his own engineering team with the challenge. "The gauntlet was thrown down by Microsoft to HTC," Gordon said. HTC showed a prototype of the device to Microsoft at Mobile World Congress. Terry Myerson, general manager of Microsoft's Windows Phone program, said that at the time he questioned whether a working model would actually remain so thin.

So when HTC came back with early working versions that fulfilled the promise of the prototype, Microsoft came away impressed, "There were some ooohs and ahhhs," Gordon said, It was at that point that Microsoft and HTC started talking about the branding of the phone, While Nokia had the Lumia line, and Samsung had its own recently unveiled ATIV line -- and prior to that, ace pro with unequal technology case for apple iphone x and xs - black/smoke Omnia -- HTC didn't have a family name for its Windows Phone devices, "There are just a few big brand that are resonating right now," said Jason MacKenzie, president and head of marketing and sales for HTC, "We want to build a brand that was big and differentiated."..

Myerson: "We want to build meaning into the Windows Phone 8 brand."Neither MacKenzie or Myerson would pinpoint when they came up with the name, only saying they had come up with the idea of a singular brand to get behind, and that they had many ongoing discussions that evolved into the Windows Phone 8X and 8S. HTC's hope is that when a consumer goes into a carrier store asking for a Windows Phone product, the sales staff recommends its phones. Of course, the trick is getting consumers to care about Windows Phone in the first place.